Mike Holmes

A bit about Mike

I was born and raised in Leeds, and grew up playing a variety of sports — but rugby was was one I took most seriously. I was already lifting weights when CrossFit popped onto my radar in 2006. When I started following CrossFit programming, my strength and fitness went up, which increased my performance on the rugby field — I was sold.

And why coaching?

I come from a family of teachers, and I found myself with an ability to teach too. When I finished my degree, I completed my Master’s in Education (teaching and learning) and taught PE at a school in Birmingham for children with social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties. Going from PE teacher to coach was a natural progression after I found CrossFit.

I opened my gym in 2011 and get to share my love of sport, and play a part in positively shaping people’s behaviours.

What are your values as a coach?

My coaching and communication style has been influenced by my experiences in sport and as a teacher. My drive is to help people achieve their goals, and I’m not bound to any singular method or belief system when it comes to helping people do what they do — I approach each athlete as an individual and know each relationship is truly unique.

One of my early mentors as a teacher said “if you can get them to listen to you, you can teach them anything” and I truly believe that.

What do you hope your future as a coach will look like?

I want to be able to keep learning — and be able to share the things I’ve learned over the past 15 years to help people reach their goals, whatever those goals might be.